1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an orthopedic surgical procedure, and more particularly to a method and an apparatus for spinal fixation.
2. Description of the Related Art
In various orthopedic surgical procedures, it is necessary to secure portions of a spinal column in a relatively fixed relationship. This need is often a result of disease, damage or congenital deformation. Heretofore, surgeons have used various types of bone and bone substitutes to help stabilize the spinal column and promote fusion. It is also known to insert an implant or prosthesis in place of a disk or vertebral body that has been removed.
While known devices for spinal fixation have proven to be effective in various applications to support the spinal column and promote fusion, they nevertheless can be the subject of certain improvements. In this regard, conventional spinal fixation devices do not provide flexible structural support allowing for adequate load sharing. Additionally, many spinal fixation devices rely on cutting through adjacent endplates for proper anchoring which may not be suitable for all applications. Thus, it would be advantageous to provide an apparatus for spinal fixation and related method that improve upon known devices.